Is this the gold mine, or just the shaft?

Titania Moonsong · 03-12-2012, 06:44 PM

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burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt I'm after you

strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme

AND I'M HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF

Word Count :: 300+ Adventuuuuure!

The morning had started off standard enough; there had been an invitation from their sister pack, Ichika no Ho-en, a few days ago, so Titania had decided to join her pack’s friends in their celebration. It seemed one member was going to have puppies soon, and it was to be a celebration of new life. Living so close to Ichika, the journey there would take little time at all. Upon a quick inquiry to the pack the Alphess found that Shandom also wanted to come, so she and her Gamma set out together. Anyone else who wanted to attend planned to come in a separate party.

They left at dawn and padded side by side between shoreline and rock. Titania chose her Lupus form – easiest to travel in – and often trotted along with her shoulder butting right up against Shandom in her customarily affectionate way.

The Alphess had changed since the start of New Dawn, maturing greatly even though the pack was only born a couple months ago. Her first birthday was just a day ago and she was maturing into a beautiful wolfess, who still brought a fresh youthful vigor to the world around her. Now, she peered around with golden eyes, drinking in the landscape and tongue lolling out of her mouth with her happy wolf-grin pant.

“I wish we were walking with the moon,” her voice broke the silence. “But it will be nice to see how she smiles upon our friends in Ichika.” Her nose dropped to the ground again, her paces slowing as she sniffed intently. A moment later she popped her head up with the sound of a crunch; she’d found a small bone remnant and munched it down happily. She was becoming known for her love of bones.

“Perhaps it is time for a light travel snack?” She cocked her head, looking at Shandom as she licked her muzzle from habit, even though there had been no meat to get her nose dirty. They wouldn’t need much more than a hare or a fowl, and small animals were usually easy to sniff out so close to the cracks and crags of the Halcyon Moutnains.

image from dawnthieves; code template by kitty; table by raze

Shandom Qi'Vaex · 03-12-2012, 07:24 PM

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xD this will actually be a table for Lea - it could not suit Shandom's personality any less. / +723!

The white Gamma was often remiss to leave the comfort of New Dawn: as he had been in Etienne, Shandom Qi'Vaex saw no need to leave the borders, having chosen the lands as his home. His heart, for so long, had been that of a wanderer, and it was a strange readjustment to embrace the life of a pack-man once again. But once he'd done it, once he'd fully realized he could call the Dawners his family, the older man chose to stay within the confines and safety of family: he had no regrets. Life carried on day in and day out in similar fashions, but Shandom did not find himself missing the inevitable adventure of being a loner. He preferred the simplicity and order of a schedule and jobs, and he openly embraced the hierarchy of a pack. The rank he'd acquired was suitable for the scarred gentleman - his age gave him wisdom and knowledge that he was eager to give to the Alphas at their discretion.

For the most part, Shandom was a quiet member of New Dawn. Certainly, he was no outsider: the man was sure to participate in pack activities, and enjoyed socializing with his adopted brothers and sisters. But he was not overly gregarious, and did not readily seek out social interactions when he did not feel it necessary. Often, he enjoyed the solace and silence of the mountains, where he could often be found wandering. The man was introspective in his middle years, often considering his mistakes of old and trying to find a spot where he could forgive himself. The new-coming of life was uncomfortable for him: Shandom knew one of his pack sisters would give birth soon, and he was sad to admit that he was forced to avoid her in order to preserve his own sanity.

But when it came to his knowledge that Ichika would soon be welcoming more of their own, the white Gamma knew it was within his job description to go. He sought to be an emissary for the pack and act as New Dawn's face to the rest of the region. It made sense, he supposed. Shandom was well-spoken, reasonably friendly, and represented a Luperci who desired a more natural life. In fact, he hadn't moved into his Optime form in many moons, though he supposed at the gathering he was headed to he would move into a two legged form. Thinking of the pregnant Ichikan was strange and uncomfortable for the man, and he'd decided to see her if only for the perverted reason that he knew he had to get used to pregnancy again. Still, it made him consider things he did not want to consider - Xyvi and Kora, for example.

Titania was, to his knowledge, the only Dawner who knew of his crimes. Perhaps Zalen as well, but the two males did not have an opportunity to discuss either way. Shandom felt comfortable around the multi-colored Alphess, and it was for this reason that he traveled with her. Their quiet paw steps was all the noise that was needed in their journey for what seemed a long time, and the Gamma did not mind. His tail, respectfully, remained low in their journey, though he did not practice any other outward shows of submission for pure reasons of defense. He did not wish any malcontents to believe that he was weak, if only for the defense of Titania: if they saw an Alphess accompanied by a male who could not defend himself, Shandom did not want to consider the consequences.

She spoke of seeing the Ichikans, and Shandom nodded his head. Indeed, he murmured. It has been many moons since I stepped out of the pack lands, and it would do me well to become better acquainted with our friends across the mountains. But, he smiled, perceptibly gaining energy at the thought of a snack, we will not reach there in good health if we do not eat. Yes, Miss Titania, let us find a snack. A wolfish grin spread across his black lips as his tail wagged, ears perked and tongue lolled out of his teeth. It was slightly ridiculous on the scarred and normally intimidating face, but the Qi'Vaex man could not help but notice the hunger pangs that crawled at his belly.

Titania Moonsong · 03-20-2012, 07:17 PM

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burning the ground, I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt I'm after you

strut on a line, it's discord and rhyme

AND I'M HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF

Word Count :: 300+ Set-up post. Feel free to have Shandom go as far with the hunt as you want. If he doesn't discover the cave, then Titania will next post. Wink

Titania didn’t mind that the Gamma at her side did not display too many signs of submission while they traveled. She was, after all, still just a fellow wolf and she was not the type of Alphess to demand a flamboyant show of station at all times. Mostly, she required it in formal moments, or for a few seconds upon the first greeting of the day. Other than that, so long as no obvious challenge was made like eye contact that exceeded the natural bounds of conversation, or a tail curled up for too long, she was fine with her pack acting casually. And so, nothing perturbed her about Shandom now; nor would it have, anyway, for the liked the wolf and she knew there were other reasons for him not to show his submission when outside of New Dawn.

She had been happy that he wanted to accompany her on the trip to Ichika, too. Of a pack mentality, Titania was not privy to traveling anywhere alone, but would if need be. Most of her people who were attending this gala would be traveling at different times for various reasons. At least this way she had some company… and some rather good company indeed.

Her ears perked when he agreed to finding a meal. Had he not agreed it wouldn’t matter, she would still enlist his help in catching some grub, but it brightened her spirits to know that he wanted to, too.

“This place is fertile with small game,” she said, trusting what her nose told her. When New Dawn had first been founded, she was positively ignorant to the strategies of the hunt. Now she was becoming a fine, skilled huntress. She still had a lot of room for growth, but she was coming along quite nicely. Putting her nose to the ground she tested the terrain for scents. At first it was all a mishmash of animal scents, the scent of scat and urine, old and stale and fading with time. But not long after (however, potentially far after Shandom had any idea if he had chosen to search too) her head popped up, and she turned to her Gamma, nose twitching.

“Do you scent that? I think it’s a hare.” Her ears twitched and swiveled, searching for the animal in the foliage. She began stalking towards the creature – or where she thought it was anyway – her instincts kicking in. Occasionally she glanced out of the corner of her eye to see where he was, and if he was looping around. Depending on where the rabbit was would determine who would chase and who would kill.

image from dawnthieves; code template by kitty; table by raze

Shandom Qi'Vaex · 03-26-2012, 02:17 PM

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So sorry for the delay! I always think I reply to things.... and then don't. #fail This is going to be short so he can find the mine shaft D:

The wolf's sensitive nares were already twitching when Titania mentioned the fertility of their environment. From the moment she'd suggested a hunt the white predator had switched into a much more deadly mind frame: Every muscle was quivering with anticipation, and ears flicked forward with eagerness. He nodded his head imperceptibly so his lovely young Alphess knew he was on the same page as her, and he set off at a rather brisk trot. Shandom's pawsteps were quiet from years of experience, and his well trained nose skimmed through the mismatching assortment of scents that were scattered across the rich, dark earth.

It was moments like these that made Shandom feel truly alive. The quiet anticipation of the hunt, the energy that thrummed through his body with every shift of nature: this all gave him a raison d'etre. A Gamma of New Dawn, living in a pack where he could be himself and live rather unencumbered from the mistakes of his past: it was all still so surreal to him. He was entirely focused on the hunt, but he allowd his mind to wander for a brief moment to the day when he met Titania in the mountains. She had seemed too young for the responsibility of the Alphess, but her wisdom and ethereal nature was the perfect balance to Zalen's slightly more abrasive style of rule. Shandom was grateful to be with them, and brimmed with respect for what they were able to do. When he was a leader, he had been harsh and on the border of cruel - it was not something he was proud of.

Titania spoke, interrupting his deep concentration, but it was in relation to the hunt so he did not feel the telltale anger that marked his darkest demeanor well to the surface. Instead, the alabaster creature began to circle towards the prey, luring it towards Titania - the small creature sensed his danger, and followed his path accordingly. But his dark eyes were distracted for a moment when he passed a deep, cavernous opening that reeked of danger and excitement: Shandom could not help but be distracted and shift his focus to the strange apparition. Alphess! he murmured, voice soft yet carrying. Alphess, come see - there's a cave here, and it smells like.... Like fun. He could not find a better word for it, but his lips twisted into a smile. If she had not caught the rabbit - which was, of course, a possibility as the male had stopped his pursuit of the creature and it may have wandered off her path - the cave probably held something delicious, and significantly more exotic than hare.

Titania Moonsong · 04-10-2012, 11:35 AM

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Out of Character | Word Count :: +400

The pair fell into the hunt dance just as smoothly as any force of nature worked. At the slightest cue from his Alphess, Shandom knew his part in this dance and began to execute the steps to perfection. She watched and listened with her body as he picked off what would be their next meal and began herding the poor, stupid creature towards the young wolfess in wait. Her ears worked to catch every note, anticipating each move of the furred beast so she would not be in the wrong position when it rooted out of the foliage before Shandom. She dropped her stance, tightening muscles whilst letting her joints relax so she could spring at just the right moment…

And then something happened, and she heard the skittering of small paws on dry leaves as the animal veered to the right. She barely caught sight of the white cottontail as it retreated through the brush. Standing abruptly, her eyes darted to Shandom in confusion, but she had no time to process her thoughts before he called to her. Bemused, she trotted swiftly to Shandom, her eyes imploring him for answers.

“What is it? Why did you stop?” She asked, but he was already saying something, and when her gaze finally traced the same track as his she saw what he was talking about. There, carved into the mountain wall, was the gaping mouth of a cave, and she instantly saw what was so intriguing about it.

Her eyes traced the edge of the cave, an edge that seemed too perfect to have been opened by nature herself. She could only see a few feet inside before it became dark, and she knew that the cave must run deep into the mountain. Curious, she padded a few steps toward the threshold and lowered her muzzle to sniff the ground, but yelped and leaped back in surprise.

“Snakes!” She took a few steps back before stopping, recollecting her composure, and looking again. No, they weren’t snakes, but some kind of metal construction affixed to the ground, leading a path into the darkness of the cave. Her ears bent back for a moment, and she looked at Shandom. She knew this was something left behind by the humans but did not know its purpose. “What do you think those could be?”

Cautiously, she approached the cave again, her paws coming up to the shadow that drew the line between outside and inside. Lowering her snout, she tested the ground. No kidding it smelled like fun, but what it didn’t smell like was even more exciting. There was no musk, no scat here. Nothing had made this place their home. She turned a mischievous eye to Shandom. “It’s ours to explore.”

firefly come back to me, make the night as bright as day

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Shandom Qi'Vaex · 04-17-2012, 02:05 PM

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Rosie did not see you responded! Bad Rosie. She has been too excited about Lea and has been neglecting her Shandom D: WC: 445

The child-Alphess was more adventurous than Shandom, and though she'd been initially alarmed - and probably irritated - by his abrupt cessation of the hunt, she eagerly moved forward into the dark cave. The Gamma had long ago learned the dangers of going where you might not belong, and for a moment he regretted announcing the cavernous hole as fun. There were so many potential dangers of the thing, though he hadn't scented the presence of any others claiming this little piece of strangeness of their own. Titania padded easily into the hole, and Shandom braced himself for whatever might happen. He could feel his body adopting the warrior mindset he'd been raised under, the kind where he was eager for a fight that could present itself at any moment. Shandom wasn't the best fighter who'd ever lived in Etienne - that particular honor likely belonged to Lea or Gyek - but he would defend the Alphess if something decided she would make a particularly delicious snack.

He jumped a bit when she yelled there were snakes - while the creatures were small and easy to kill, it wasn't uncommon to hear of a wolf succumb to their poison. The male prepared to spring forward until Titania realized that they snakes weren't, in fact, snakes. Cocking his head slightly in confusion, Shandom trotted forward, nose pressed to the earth, and examined the things more closely. They appeared to be created by humans - no canine could have molded these strange things. Their human relations would explain the generally strange air Shandom perceived from this cave, but he could not help the curiosity that overwhelmed him. Why had they built this? How strange, the man murmured, his words echoing slightly as they bounced down the cavern. Perhaps it was some sort of hunting device for them? I don't know how it would have worked, this whole thing seems like a rather silly construction to me, but I also don't know much about the humans in general. A goofy, wolfish smile curled across his dark lips as he pressed his nose closer to the strange metal. Maybe the rest of it is further down... The tracks keep going, see?

Titania deemed it safe. Shandom nodded eagerly, his ruined face breaking into his trademark handsome smile as he wagged his tail in excitement. He turned his head forward, eyes adapting quickly to the darkness as he once more dropped his head to the earth, allowing his nose to lead him further down the shaft. Let's see where these tracks lead, eh? the Gamma proposed, already beginning their adventure. See if the humans left us something fun to play with.

Titania Moonsong · 04-20-2012, 12:21 PM

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Out of Character | Word Count :: +500

Shandom was on board so there was no turning back now. The spirit of adventure sang to her soul and with tail wagging she trotted into the strange cave alongside her trusted Gamma. Gold eyes flickered in the dim light that poured through the mouth of the cave, though they stared down into darkness. “They do keep going, I wonder how far.” The iron tracks went on as far as she could see, into that great darkness, and wondering where they led was both frightening and thrilling.

The other made an assumption about the purpose of the tracks that were affixed to the ground and she considered it for a moment, pausing in her steps to sniff at them. She noticed there were wooden planks beneath the iron, running perpendicular to the tracks. The wood was rotted by age and weather and taken over by moss and weeds. “Interesting… look at that…” she muttered softly before speaking up. “ Maybe it is a hunting device, but I can’t imagine how it was used. They had all manner of machines to process their food for them, though, some I will never understand. They were so lazy and I heard that they never had to hunt thanks to their devices. I bet they were all fat.” She giggled at the thought.

She raised her head, no longer so interested in the wooden ties, and began to walk again. “We should be wary in case it was some machine. Keep your ears and nose open,” she advised in the official Alphess voice. It was obvious why she didn’t add ‘eyes’ to it too. They were headed into darkness, and though they had good night vision, unless there was some strange light source they would not be able to make out too much.

The instant the advisory was spoken – mostly for her own benefit for surely Shandom already intended to be careful – she was back in play mode. Her tail raised high and wagging, tongue lolled out of her mouth. The cave smelled of dampness, rock, and metal. There were more constructs on the walls that had gone rotten with time; wooden support beams that made the shaft seem unnaturally angular. It should have been frightening, and Titania had a natural tenancy to shy away from the machinations of the humans, but there was a strange wild allure to this place for it had not been completely defiled by human hand, only altered.

“What is that?!” She barked in surprise. Though they moved into the obscurity of the darkness, something on the wall glistened as she went past. It caught her eye and she leaped sideways, turning to peer at the sight. The light from outside still touched this area, only slightly though, and there was some kind of magical rock that caught the light and shimmered with silvery tendrils of light. “It’s beautiful!” She eased closer to it, stretching out her neck to nose at the gemstone… or was it metal?... she didn’t know for sure, but she sniffed at it all the same before rearing onto her hind legs and pawing at it - but no matter how hard she scratched at the wall the thing would not come loose.

firefly come back to me, make the night as bright as day

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